<p>D is looking at studying abroad in Finland next fall. I would like to go visit her for about a week, and probably have two options. There is a school break the last week of October, or after school ends (Christmas week). We are trying to figure out what to do, and am looking for input from those who have traveled in Europe (esp. more on the northern/eastern side) those times of year. She will likely be in Helsinki. Here are some thoughts so far:</p>
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<li><p>Helsinki has about 6 hours of daylight a day around Christmas. We like to nordic ski, but having only a few hours of daylight a day doesn’t sound too idea. I am thinking some year we may go back in March some year for that experience - - but I could be convinced if someone has done something like that in late December in Finland or an adjacent country :)</p></li>
<li><p>If I go in December, D says we could just spend a day or two in Helsinki, then go south in Europe. D has been to Helsinki, and says a week there would be a long time for a visit just in Helsinki… Any suggestions for where else to spend 4-5 days if we do that at Christmas time?</p></li>
<li><p>Same question for last week of October. That is sort of the very end of fall in Finland. Again, we could go south if we have a good plan for what to do. Any fall suggestions? We are pretty open minded, city or countryside is okay. We just want to have an interesting experience. D is kind of a foodie, so any kind of food experience would be interesting to her (but that is not the only factor in deciding).</p></li>
<li><p>My current thinking is that I’d like to avoid renting a car if possible. Just don’t want to deal with the hassles of an international driver’s license. And I know it is very expensive. And I am a little worried about reading the road signs in Finnish :eek:</p></li>
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<p>I will also search the web for ideas, but I know you guys always have good suggestions! Thanks!</p>
<p>You probably don’t need any special driver’s license if you are there less than a certain amount of time (It’s 6 months in Germany - don’t know what it is elsewhere). All the International license is anyway is an official translation of your American license for those places that don’t read English.</p>
<p>However, a lot of rental car companies limit which countries you are allowed to drive to, due to theft. In Germany, it was difficult to find a place that allowed you to drive to the Eastern European countries. We had our own car, so no problem. But we had friends come to visit who couldn’t find a rental car that would allow them to go to Czech or Poland, for example. I don’t know how it works in other countries.</p>
<p>You might try taking trains and ferries from Finland to Sweden. Stockholm is very interesting (and expensive.) But you still have the cold and dark.</p>
<p>If it were me, I’d want to check out St. Petersburg. Although winter time might not be the ideal time for that either!</p>
<p>St. Petersburg is a gorgeous city, especially in late June when the sun practically does not set, but it might not be the best place to visit in December. While the rest of Europe is bright with Christmas lights and festivities, the Russians do not celebrate their Orthodox Christmas until January. And an American tourist will need a Russian visa to travel there (it can be a royal pain to get one). I’ve also been to Stockholm and I like the city. Of course, like everything in Europe, it is expensive. It is a walking city, and public transportation is very reliable. We stayed on Gamla Stan in the heart of Stockholm and walked/took trains everywhere. From our hotel window, we could see the ferries going to and from Finland. Everyone speaks English, from the city bus driver to museum staff, and many signs are in English. Shopping at the little gift shops was a lot of fun, and H&Ms are as plentiful as Starbucks in Seattle - there are four of them at every intersection :)</p>
<p>I’d rather spend Christmas with my D, but it is so darn cold up there that I might be selfish and go in October. Stockholm or Copenhagen would be my choice for a side trip. Both cities are fabulous and if you book early and do the non refundable, you can get really great prices on flights. Try SAS airlines. I think there is an overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm. I am a total chicken when it comes to driving and I have no issues with renting a car in Denmark or Sweden. Just use an American company like Hertz or Avis and get the extra insurance so you don’t have any hassles. Hertz will let you view the international prices in advance. Avis won’t.</p>
<p>Twice we have spent Christmas in Europe. It is just like here in that everything shuts down for a couple of days so be prepared with food or dinner reservations.</p>
<p>If you’re thinking of any of the large European cities around Christmas, just know that folks “come into town” for New Years Eve. When we spent the week after Christmas in Paris, as New Years Eve drew closer, the city got more and more crowded. They tended to be French and European tourists but a crowd is still a crowd.</p>
<p>Happy news! It appears that D will probably be starting orientation for her studies on September 2, so she will have a window of a couple of weeks after her summer job ends until that date. So it is likely that we will be traveling the last 10 days or so of August instead of fall or winter! That way she can travel or visit with new friends during the October break, and just come home for Christmas.</p>
<p>So I am still looking for suggestions in northern Europe, just for August now. D wants to take the boat/ferry to Stockholm. She also mentioned some islands off the south coast of Sweden. But we are open to other suggestions. Saving so much on tuition (FREE in Finland - - yay!) that we can afford a vacation!</p>
That way she can travel or visit with new friends during the October break, and just come home for Christmas.</p>